Nov. 14, 2017
08:53 am JST

Nov. 14, 2017
09:34 am JST

Oh dear, whatever happened to the free trade and globalization that the Americans were so fond of and pushed on the rest of the world? Not so good now when it works against them, is it? Too bad, and serves them right. Anyway, any sensible motorist would buy Japanese over American any day, as the Japanese cars are reliable and well designed and built, but American cars are agriculturally cumbersome and and not so reliable.

Like what? Japan should just do whatever the US says, not because they should "obey", but because whatever the Americans want changed in the Japan market is not going to make a big difference anyway, as locals aren't interested in American cars. They prefer Japanese and German ones, like BMWs and Mercedes.

Ross said the planned U.S. taxation reform featuring substantial reductions in corporate taxes would make it "even more attractive" for Japanese companies to engage in production in the United States.

And so they will. But the US becoming a more attractive investment location is going to strenghten the US dollar, which again will just make Japanese cars look more attractive on a relative basis.

But who cares if Americans are able to buy lots of cheap, quality Japanese cars? That's a good thing for the American consumer, and the American worker meanwhile can work for high-tech growth industries instead of car making.

Nov. 14, 2017
01:50 pm JST

Nov. 14, 2017
02:42 pm JST

German imported cars kill it in Japan. Imported Yank cars don't (although Tesla seems like it may do better). The reason is not because of trade restrictions. The reason is because a lot of those cars are garbage

Nov. 14, 2017
11:14 pm JST

Seems to me they should be focusing on China (30 billion more than Japan!!!), why pick on Japan?

Because Trump's image of Japan hasn't changed since the 1980s. This was obvious when he first started campaigning and whining about our trade deficit with "Japan". Anyone with half a brain knows that our trade problem has been wit China for decades now. On the other hand maybe he knows, but doesn't want to end his cheap necktie manufacturing in China. Pulling out of TPP and the Paris Accords has done more to make "China First" than anything China could have done on their own.